(The Center Square) – Spokane City Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson, who is running for council president, has responded to recent allegations that she misappropriated American Rescue Plan Act funds for the nonprofit organization Jewels Helping Hands.
“Recently, misinformation surfaced that the ARPA funds allocated to Jewels Helping Hands were used for recreational activities rather than post-pandemic recovery,” reads a Thursday news release put out by Wilkerson on the city of Spokane’s official website.
Wilkerson issued her statement in response to allegations made in an Aug. 30 article published at the website OnTheBall509.com by editor Robin Ball titled “Did you and I pay for Julie Garcia & Friends’ Trip to Sin City?”
In the article, Ball draws a direct line between Wilkerson’s sponsorship of the ARPA funds and a Jewels Helping Hands team-building trip to Las Vegas.
Wilkerson’s news release provides background information.
“On July 31st, 2023, Spokane City Council unanimously voted 4-0 to approve consent item, ‘Not-for-profit Assistance Awards, round 2,’ following the approved Tranche 3 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations, to 82 local not-for-profit entities for $2,684,039.36,” Wilkerson’s news release said.
Of that nearly $2.7 million dollars allocated, records show Jewels Helping Hands received a total of $57,500 in two rounds. The first for $12,500 and the second for $45,000.
Wilkerson’s new release notes that “ARPA funds are federally funded dollars, and organizations must meet city and federal requirements for funding,” and that funds were only allocated “after a thorough vetting process.”
“During the 2020 pandemic, many businesses and nonprofit organizations were mandated to cease operations,” Wilkerson continued. “Many of them, already operating on a shoestring budget, suffered the loss of revenue, steady employees, and the ability to serve our community during the pandemic.”
“Fortunately, the City received ARPA dollars, and those funds were strategically allocated to qualified businesses to help restore their businesses and ultimately restore our community,” she added. “I am calling upon everyone in our city not to disparage these businesses and non-profits but to support them and understand what they do to help make our communities whole.”
